Thousands Attend Ventura Deputy’s Funeral
Friends, family and colleagues are remembering a Ventura county sheriff’s deputy killed in the line of duty.
More than a thousand people attended a memorial service for 41-year-old Eugene Kostiuchenko Tuesday afternoon.
Several people spoke at the ceremony, including Kostiuchenko’s partner Patrick Hawthorne, and Ventura County Sheriff Geoff Dean.
The funeral, which was open to the public, was held at Calvary Community Church in Westlake Village.
Kostiuchenko was killed last week on Highway 101 in Camarillo when an alleged drunk driver hit him and took off.
The driver accused in the deadly crash is Kevin Hogrefe. He has pleaded not guilty to murder and hit-and-run charges.
